


People Like Us

by tawnyPort



Category: Free!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Family, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, M/M, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-14
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-04 14:10:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1081942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tawnyPort/pseuds/tawnyPort
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The man outside the door was tall enough to block the majority of the light the opening would otherwise have let in. The dim blue early morning light on the snow was hard on Makoto’s eyes but even backlit he knew there could only be one person that huge who would turn up on his doorstep like this.</p><p>“Teppei? What…?”</p><p>“Hey, Makoto! I hope I didn’t wake you too early.” The confident smile on Kiyoshi Teppei’s face told Makoto that he knew precisely how early it was and didn’t care.  “Can I come in? It’s freezing out here.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [NOTE: this fic is currently carrying minimal tags in an attempt to avoid spoilers. Please see [here]() for a list of ship tags and future content warnings, but be advised that these are also considerable spoilers so click at your own risk.]

“Make them go away.”

“That’s your specialty,” Tachibana Makoto murmured, then sighed as he threw his legs over the side of the bed and fumbled for his glasses on the nightstand. "Why do I have to go down?” The bed was warm and the floor was cold and his robe was all the way over there. This was not how he wanted to start his weekend.

“Because you’re already standing up,” came the muffled reply. “And you better come back after.” There would be no stirring Nanase Haruka until it was absolutely inevitable, it seemed. Makoto really couldn’t blame him. This was the first weekend of really thick snow and he’d hoped to spend a good portion of the morning lazing in bed as well, but it seemed that someone had other plans.

There was a third round of knocking as Makoto reached the bottom of the stairs. “I’m coming, please be patient, it’s still very early.” He ran his hands through his hair, hoping it didn’t look too mussed, then tugged the door open a little. “Hello?”

The man outside the door was tall enough to block the majority of the light the opening would otherwise have let in. The dim blue early morning light on the snow was hard on Makoto’s eyes but even backlit he knew there could only be one person that huge who would turn up on his doorstep like this.

“Teppei? What…?”

“Hey, Makoto! I hope I didn’t wake you too early.” The confident smile on Kiyoshi Teppei’s face told Makoto that he knew precisely how early it was and didn’t care, but the shock of seeing him there woke Makoto up like a handful of snow down his spine and made it difficult to summon any resentment. “Can I come in? It’s freezing out here.”

Makoto backed up and pulled the door open the rest of the way. “Of course, of course. Sorry.” A few stray flakes swirled around Teppei’s legs as he came inside. The cold air chased the warmth that lingered around Makoto’s ankles away and he shivered. The robe he’d pulled on wasn’t nearly thick enough for this.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s barely morning. If anything, I’m intruding.” Teppei shrugged out of his jacket and unwound his scarf, offering both to Makoto before bending to remove his boots. If nothing else, Makoto thought, Teppei’d dressed warm, prepared to be turned away, but he had no intention of doing that regardless of the hour. Instead he hung both articles up and motioned for Teppei to follow him further into the house. “Is Haruka here?” 

“He’s still upstairs, so we’ll go to the kitchen,” Makoto replied. “It’ll be quieter in there.” He didn’t deny that yes, Teppei was intruding, but for him to drive all this way in the first real-- “Wait, did you drive all night?”

“No, no. I stopped for the night just outside Kyoto and stayed with a friend there. I thought with the snow it would take me longer this morning, that it would be a more human time when I got here.” Teppei leaned back against the kitchen counter and here in the light from the window Makoto could see the exhaustion on his face.

“But that’s still more than three hours and it’s only half past seven. Do you suppose your friend even knows you left?” He turned away and grabbed the kettle from the stovetop.

“Izuki keeps odd hours and we were having a reunion of sorts so he was still up when I left. Even if he hadn’t been, though, he would have understood.” 

Makoto frowned a little at Teppei’s dismissive tone but it didn’t really surprise him. Teppei reminded him of Nagisa that way, always assuming the best of other people and his relationship with them. It was undoubtedly that mindset that had brought him to Makoto’s door this morning rather than any other more reasonable time. 

“I hope so. That’s a pretty inconsiderate thing to do to someone who’s put you up overnight like that.” For a moment the running water was the only sound in the room. Makoto knew he was fully within his rights to request an explanation for Teppei’s arrival but somehow it didn’t seem like the hospitable thing to do. _He woke us up and you let him in and are making him tea. How much more hospitality does he need?_ Haru didn’t need to be awake to try to scold Makoto into boldness.

Teppei seemed to understand the struggle taking place at the sink and took advantage of the pause. “What am I doing here?”

“Oh.” Makoto turned the water off; without that, the silence was even more profound. “Uhm. Yes, I was getting to that.” He left the sink and put the kettle on to heat, then turned to face Teppei again.

“Good. Who are you?” Both Makoto and Teppei’s heads snapped to the side when Haru spoke. He hadn’t even heard him come down, but Makoto felt his stomach start to close in on itself. It was a well-practiced defense mechanism against that aggressive tone in Haru’s voice. 

“Good morning!” Teppei replied, the false brightness in his voice not moving Haru’s expression in the least.

“I heard voices. Who are you?” Even if he wasn’t always the most eloquent person, Haru certainly didn’t have to sound quite as much like a roused toddler as he did just now. If he caught sight of what Makoto was seeing--the start of an amused twinkle in Teppei’s eye--there’d be no coming back from it.

“Haru, it’s OK.” Makoto stepped away from the stove, moving into the space between Teppei’s position and Haru in the door frame. He didn’t expect conflict but it was still the best place from which to manage the situation. “Kiyoshi Teppei,” he said slowly, “this is Nanase Haruka, my boyfriend. Haru, this is Teppei, my brother.”

Haru’s eyes widened but before Makoto could make a move to calm him Teppei was already speaking. Makoto glanced at him and found a little relief in the fact that the amusement was gone. Teppei was taking this meeting seriously. The bulk of the sweater he wore ultimately didn’t disguise the tension in his posture. “Half-brother. He’s doing me a kindness in leaving off that first part but sometimes it’s important.”

As Makoto watched, Haru’s fists unclenched just a little at his sides and his eyes relaxed again, but his shoulders were still stiff and his lips pursed. It was going to take more than that to diffuse this. “I was just about to start us some breakfast, Haru. Why don’t you--”

“I want to cook but I don’t want to cook for three. I didn’t plan on three people this weekend when I did the shopping.” Haru’s voice was softer now, less angry and more wary. Haru knew as well as anyone how important family was to Makoto but processing this was not something that was going to happen over one breakfast. Normally he have tried to talk his boyfriend down but this time Makoto really couldn’t blame him for reacting defensively. He hadn’t planned on three either. 

Teppei lifted his hands from the counter and held them open at waist level as he bowed his head. Was he admitting defeat? “I’m sorry, Nanase-san. I knew I was intruding but I didn’t intend to be this much of a disruption. If you’ll bear with me for just a couple more minutes, I’ll call around to a hotel and leave you two to your weekend.” By the time Makoto realized what was happening, it was too late. “Makoto, my phone is in my jacket and I didn’t see where you hung it. Could you get it for me?”

“Teppei--”

“Please? It’s the last time I’ll be a nuisance, I promise.” Makoto looked his brother square in the eye and saw exactly what he expected: very real humility but also very real intuition at work. Teppei knew exactly where his jacket was, he’d watched Makoto hang it up. He was just trying to get him out of the kitchen. All Makoto wanted was to bundle Haru up and take him back upstairs, murmuring the whole way that he was sorry and everything would be fine, but he’d been outmaneuvered. 

Sighing, Makoto nodded. “You’re not a nuisance, Teppei, please stop saying that.” Haru shifted only slightly aside when Makoto made to pass him at the doorway. Makoto let his hand brush Haru’s wrist as he scooted past but Haru pulled his arm away and narrowed his eyes at Makoto. “Haru…” His boyfriend looked away from him as he spoke. That was the end of that, then. 

He moved past Haru and headed to the foyer, hurriedly digging through the pockets of Teppei’s jacket. How many did the thing have? The small, hard shape was buried under a pair of gloves in an inside pocket, literally the last place Makoto was going to check before going back to the kitchen and calling Teppei out on his ruse. For a moment he felt bad about suspecting his brother of subversion before he remembered that it wasn’t exactly untrue. 

He looked at the phone for a long moment, debating putting it back and saying he couldn’t find it just to buy a few more minutes to work out another solution. Teppei wasn’t the only one with ulterior motives, really. Haru was upset but even so Makoto found himself reluctant to send his brother back out into the snow. Of course, if he was really going to call hotels and intended to go there immediately then he must be planning to stay in the area, so perhaps Makoto could call on him later after he’d explained everything to Haru. Then again, he’d driven all the way from Kyoto and he had a friend there. What was to stop him turning around and going right back there if he couldn’t find somewhere to stay this close to the holiday and on such short notice? And a hotel here would be expensive.

The building shriek of the kettle pulled Makoto out of his debate. He’d give him the phone. He’d see what the phone calls sounded like and manage things as they came up. He wasn’t any less anxious as he started back toward the kitchen, but what he heard as the kettle stopped made him stop in his tracks.

“What are you doing here?” Haru’s voice, still on edge, and the soft sound of porcelain against porcelain. Teppei was making the tea.

“You really don’t mince your words, do you? I like that.” Teppei’s voice was genial but Makoto could picture Haru’s face, utterly unmoved by the attempt. After a moment’s silence, Teppei continued. “I live in Tokyo so I can be closer to my grandfather--my and Makoto’s grandfather, on our father’s side. Makoto’s parents came for the holiday with the twins when I happened to be visiting with Grandfather. They told me since they’re in Tokyo now this would be his first New Year’s alone. Or. Sorry.” Makoto massaged his brow with his free hand but at least Teppei had the good sense to make the apology sound authentic. “Alone without them. You know what they meant.”

“I know what his mother meant.” The fact that Makoto was living with Haru continued to be a sore spot between him and his father. That was no secret from Haru but the way he threw it in Teppei’s face was unlike him.

“Yes. Well.” Someone was moving around the kitchen. Teppei, probably, getting a third cup down for Haru. “They suggested I come and spend the holiday here with you. I know it’s kind of early but they’re going to look after Grandfather and it’s been a long time since I had a holiday away from the city.” 

“You should have called.” Now Haru sounded almost petulant, the way he sounded when being forced to do something he wouldn’t admit he liked. It was, Makoto thought, a small positive sign. It was difficult to stay nervous and closed off around Teppei. Makoto had noticed it ever since he’d first met him. “What if we were going to go to Tokyo for the holiday? You would have travelled all this way for nothing.”

“I like to drive, and it was nice to get to visit with Izuki for a little while.” Soft watery sounds from the teapot as Teppei poured… three cups. Makoto wondered if Haru would drink his. There was a long pause and a contented sigh. “I’m much more of a coffee drinker myself but there is something so beautiful about a well made cup of tea.”

“You could have stayed with him.”

“I could! And I still may, depending on what I can find closer to here. Speaking of which, I think Makoto may have gotten lost.” Teppei raised his voice subtly at the end. He couldn’t have known Makoto was listening, could he? 

“Ah, no! Not lost,” Makoto said as he came back into the kitchen. He was pleased to see Haru had at least accepted the tea even if it didn’t look like he’d had any yet. “But you buried the thing so deep in your pocket, it took forever to get it out. Sorry.” He passed the phone to Teppei, accepting his own cup of tea in the exchange. “Did I hear you say you still might drive back to Kyoto? That’s such a waste of gas, Teppei.”

Teppei had set his tea down and slid his phone open. “My car gets great mileage, and it’s still cheaper to me than continuing to be an imposition.”

“I have a better idea.” Teppei looked up from his phone as Makoto spoke, and Haru, who had finally started on his tea, lowered his cup and turned his head, regarding Makoto with a gaze that held half suspicion and half resignation. Makoto tilted his head apologetically but Haru just looked away. “Stay here, just for the morning. Get some sleep, since you probably need it, and we’ll see what we can do about finding you somewhere to stay. A little rest will make everything easier to deal with, right?”

Teppei’s eyes flicked between Makoto and Haru. They finally landed on Haru and stayed there. The younger man was visibly refusing to look at Teppei but eventually he lifted his teacup again and drank. Teppei looked back at Makoto, eyebrows arched in question, and Makoto nodded once. That was as much consent as they were going to get from Haru right now.

“Thank you, Nanase-san.” Teppei slipped his phone into his pants pocket and bowed to show his gratitude. Haru scoffed a little and turned toward the refrigerator. Apparently since this was decided he was going to start breakfast.

“Do you need anything from your car?” Makoto hoped not and said a silent thank you when Teppei shook his head.

“I can sleep in this, since I won’t be staying overly long.” He moved toward the kitchen door and followed Makoto out.

“You’re lucky we even have a guest room, Teppei,” he murmured as he led him to the spare bedroom. Teppei rested his hand on Makoto’s shoulder briefly before he could open the door.

“Makoto. Mako-kun. Don’t be like that. I’m sorry I turned up without warning you.” 

Makoto suppressed another sigh. He’d already done that far too many times for one morning. “It’ll be all right, Teppei. Get some sleep. I’ll go sort things out with Haru.”

“I like him,” Teppei replied, giving Makoto’s shoulder a squeeze before letting himself into the guest room and shutting the door quietly behind him. Makoto didn’t even get a chance to respond.

Teppei liked Haru. As nice as it would be to be able to take a moment to savor that since not many people liked Haru after their first encounter with him--and surly, defensive early morning Haru was a particularly prickly one to start with--Makoto had to find out now if there was even a chance of the feeling being mutual.

He padded back slowly to the kitchen and stopped in the doorway. Haru had gotten himself an apron and had, true to his word, started on breakfast. He stood up a little straighter and his shoulders rose that tiny bit higher when Makoto left the door and walked into the kitchen proper. Rather than approaching him directly, Makoto picked up a cup of tea and retreated to the kitchen table. Even under the best circumstances, it was a good idea to stay out of Haru’s way when he was cooking. He sipped at the tea, slightly cool but still essentially fine, and waited.

Haru stepped away from the stove and ran his fingertips under the faucet for a moment, then flicked them at the pan on the stove. “I don’t want him to stay.” The sizzle saying the pan was ready for frying punctuated his sentence. Makoto watched him slide a few pieces of fish into the pan and waited for their initial contact to quiet before he replied.

“Is it because you don’t like him or because you’re mad at me?” He hated having to even consider the idea but he knew the division was at best fifty-fifty.

“He’s fine.” Haru’s arm moved slightly as he turned the fish. “You kept this a secret from me.”

Makoto set his teacup down and turned in his chair till he was fully facing Haru’s back. “It wasn’t my secret to tell.”

“Then whose was it? You told it easily enough with him here.” He could have withstood Haru being angry at him. That happened on some level nearly every day but, at least with Makoto, Haru was almost infinitely forgiving. The hurt in Haru’s voice, though, was far more difficult to bear.

“My father’s. He was in his last year of university in Tokyo and he was already seeing Mom. He knew he wanted to marry her but he got scared, did something thoughtless. He never told her and when he was done with school got married and moved back here to Iwatobi. That summer he got a phone call.” He reached out and touched the handle of the teacup, turning it in a slow circle on the table. “Teppei’s mother was young, younger than she’d told Dad, and she couldn’t take care of him and she was too frightened to tell her own parents, so Dad talked to Oji-san and Oba-san and they all decided it would be best if they raised him. Mom was already pregnant with me. Teppei’s only about five months older.” Once he started talking it was easy to just let the entire story come out. He always felt so terrible for Teppei’s mother when he thought about the entire situation. To be so young and scared and to have to make a choice like that… he wasn’t sure what he’d have done in such a situation. “Mom and Dad told me at the same time they told me the twins were coming. They wanted me to know that the family was getting bigger, but also that it was already bigger than I thought.”

“So you knew the whole way through school.” At some point Haru had put some noodles on. Makoto’d been so intent on his game with the teacup that he hadn’t noticed.

“Yes, but I promised them I wouldn’t tell. Mom was afraid people wouldn’t understand, that they’d think less of Dad or of her, so I didn’t tell anyone. It wasn’t just you, Haru. I only ever told one person.”

The tongs scraped on the pan. “Who?”

Makoto sighed. This was either going to be the worst of it or the corner turned toward a good end. “Rin. I told him after he told us about Australia. He was leaving anyway so it didn’t seem to matter as much. I didn’t think he’d ever come back.”

Haru’s back curved down a little, some of the tension seeming to slip out. “Were you ever going to tell me?” If the tension was gone, the anger certainly wasn’t. His tone was short and caustic.

“Of course, but I didn’t know when or how.” He’d actually been planning to bring it up across the New Year’s holiday this year. Odds were high that he’d receive his own card from Teppei this year, he’d thought, and that would give him the perfect opportunity to explain. Instead, Teppei himself had shown up and here they were. “I’m sorry, Haru. I didn’t want it to happen like this.”

Haru was silent at the stovetop, reaching out to snap the heat off on the burners. Makoto fought the urge to fill the quiet with more apologies. Haru would only get more upset and besides, he was precisely as apologetic as he’d stated. Yes, he wanted the anger to dissipate, he wanted Haru to accept this news and let Teppei stay, but he wasn’t going to just absorb all the blame this time. What Haru needed most right now, Makoto knew, was time to process what he’d learned.

He looked out the window. It had started to snow again. It wasn’t nearly as dense as it had been the night before but it made the silence seem that much more oppressive.

“Do you love him?” Haru had stopped in front of the cabinet where they kept their plates and was looking at Makoto from the corner of his eye. Makoto met his eye and nodded, a hint of warmth growing in his chest. This was an easy question but the fact that Haru was asking meant it mattered to him how Makoto felt about the situation. He wasn’t nearly as angry anymore.

“He’s my brother. After Mom and Dad told me about him, they said it was OK if I wanted to get to know him, so we emailed a little bit and whenever we’d go to Tokyo he’d come along with us wherever we went. He even came out here once. It was the summer you and your parents went to Shodoshima for two weeks.” He had to look down then. “My parents planned it that way. As soon as I told them you were going they arranged for him to come out. That’s why Dad said I couldn’t go with you.”

Haru looked forward again as he got two dishes down and started plating breakfast. Ever since he’d been promoted to line cook at the restaurant where he worked his presentation of their meals had slowly become more and more important to him. Makoto loved watching him work. Even something as simple as a breakfast of noodles with a few vegetables and grilled fish was still a little marvel. Knowing how much pride Haru took in all of it was his favorite part.

“Do you want him to stay?” Haru stepped forward, setting the plates on the table, then immediately turned away again. Makoto watched as he fetched a glass and filled it with water. Naturally.

“If it’s all right with you, I wouldn’t mind,” Makoto replied carefully. “It’ll still be our first holiday without my parents hovering over us. Teppei’s not like them. He won’t be a nuisance or anything like that.” He waited, chopsticks in hand, until Haru came back to the table.

“Do you _want_ him to stay?” Haru repeated as he pulled his chair back. Makoto paused, now waiting for him to sit, but instead Haru stared down at him, evidently wanting to receive the answer before agreeing to sit for breakfast. Looking up Makoto saw his face was blank except for the uncertainty in his eyes. The warmth in Makoto’s chest spread because he knew he could do what it took to ease that.

“Yes, Haru-chan. I want him to stay. Now please sit and eat with me before this lovely meal you’ve made us gets cold.” Makoto smiled carefully up at Haru, knowing full well that he was going to get chastised for the nickname but also knowing it was worth it.

“Don’t call me that in front of him.” The chair scraped as Haru pulled it in closer to the table and edged it toward the corner so he was closer to Makoto. “And you’re going out in this to get more food.” Haru’s eyes flicked to Makoto’s face for a moment, inscrutable, then he focused intently on his breakfast.

“But there’s got to be ten centimeters out there, and it’s still falling!” Leave it to Haru to devise a perfectly practical way of making sure Makoto knew he was putting him out.

Haru just shrugged. “Get him to drive you.”


	2. Chapter 2

Haru retreated to the bath immediately after finishing breakfast but Makoto found himself feeling too keyed up to get any more rest. Instead, he did the breakfast dishes--noticing with a smile that despite his protests Haru had in fact made enough for Teppei--and set about cleaning the house up a little. It wasn’t that either of them were particularly untidy but when the forecast had come out and the idea to spend an entire weekend curled up indoors had been born, suddenly all bets were off about leaving things to wait until Sunday to be dealt with. It was just a few small things, magazines and books left open, the odd mug or plate abandoned on a side table, but it gave Makoto something to do other than sit still and think about what was going on.

With that done he stopped for a moment and looked at the clock. Only an hour had passed. Teppei was sure to be asleep at least as long again and, as he listened, he heard the sound of water running in the bathroom. Haru was warming the bath again. Normally Makoto would go in and gently harass him into getting out but after this morning he figured if Haru wanted to use all the hot water up twice over, well, that was an acceptable sacrifice. Teppei would just have to understand if he woke up and wanted a shower or bath himself. The sooner he got used to Haru’s eccentricities, the better.

With the inside taken care of, the next logical step was to deal with the outside. It was an intimidating task but if he didn’t start now then as sun the rose toward midday then fell again after sunset, the steps would get icy and become a hazard for everyone. As quietly as he could, Makoto dug until he found a proper pair of boots and pulled them on along with his heavy coat and a pair of gloves, then got the snow shovel out of the closet and set to work.

He could still see Teppei’s footprints on the steps, something he considered to be a good sign. It couldn’t be snowing that hard if those had barely filled in after more than two hours. Even now the snow had decreased to just a sprinkling, meaning his efforts wouldn’t be in vain. He started at their door and carved a path to the stairs themselves then started clearing those. It was good work, the kind that made his muscles warm under his coat, and he knew anyone trying to get to the temple today would appreciate it. That included anyone with more than two feet, he thought as he spotted some tiny pawprints in the snow at the edge of one step. The cats would be fine through the winter, he knew, but he still made a mental note to leave a little more food out for them after today.

Makoto was sweating by the time he got to the bottom. He leaned on the shovel and looked up at the cleared stairs. He could stop there and no one would fault him but he would know and for him that was enough. He stretched a little and turned toward the walkway to his parents’ house. Until a couple of years ago it had been his house as well but after he’d come out to his family and explained to them that he was in love with Haru, tensions between Makoto and his father gradually ran higher and higher. He knew his father still loved him but it was also obvious he didn’t understand and that his acceptance, if it ever came, was going to be a long time coming. Ultimately, Makoto and his mother had decided it was best if he moved in with Haru. 

When Haru started university and indicated to his parents that he had no intention of leaving Iwatobi, his parents agreed to let him keep his grandmother’s house with the understanding that he would purchase it from them when he turned twenty. While the prospect had initially seemed tricky, when Haru dropped out of school to start working full time, concerns about whether he’d be able to afford it eased considerably. Makoto had worried Haru wouldn’t be able to manage a house on his own but as it turned out Haru had no intention of doing so. He began making overtures as soon as he stopped going to school and Makoto did ultimately find it easier more often than not to stay with Haru, especially once his second year started and the commute back and forth from Yonago ate up so much of his mornings and evenings. When it finally came time for him to move out, Makoto felt he’d definitely made more difficult decisions, but that hadn’t meant it was truly easy, either.

He missed waking up to the sound of the twins getting ready for school. He missed going to bed at night to the sound of his mother singing quietly. The move had eased things somewhat between the elder Tachibana and his son, however, and that was at least one of the reasons he’d done it. Makoto got used to waking up to the sound of the shrine workers and going to sleep to the sound of Haru’s breathing. With his family still so close it got easier to embrace the whole thing as a good decision, especially considering that the rest of the community seemed to regard the two of them as poor young men cohabiting out of necessity rather than preference. The twins were getting older, his own schoolwork and career were demanding more of his time, and it was simply right and natural that he start on a new life this way.

Clearing a path to the door was a quick, familiar job and a satisfying end to the chore. Makoto even set the shovel aside for a moment and used the sleeve of his coat to clean as much of the snow as he could off the car parked on the street nearby. Given that it was the only one around he could only assume it was Teppei’s and if Haru intended to stick to his demand from breakfast then they’d need it later. He couldn’t resist a quick peek inside--two large suitcases took up the bulk of the backseat. It seemed like a lot of luggage for a week or so away but perhaps Teppei had packed gifts, or perhaps he simply had no idea how to pack. After all, not everyone considered two swimsuits and money for laundry to be enough to get by on the way Haru did.

Speaking of which, he should probably get upstairs before Teppei started opening doors and causing any further awkwardness. Even with a guest, Makoto could only be about seventy percent sure Haru would be generally decent in the house. He retrieved the shovel and trotted back up the stairs. He might have to give them another quick bit of attention before sunset but they should be fine for the rest of the day.

As he opened the door and kicked the snow off his boots before taking them off, Makoto was immediately aware that Teppei was already up. The energy in the house was different in a way he could only attribute to his brother. Still, it wasn’t bad. He’d half expected Haru to meet him at the door announcing that Teppei had offended him and he’d changed his mind, but instead he found Haru--fully dressed--in the living room laying down and taking up the entire couch. He’d taken at least three of the magazines Makoto had put away back out and was looking at two of them at once. Makoto peeked over the back of the couch. Cooking magazines, both of them, showing two different platings of grilled salmon. One had a dark sauce drizzled over it and a side of asparagus; the other had a creamy white sauce with what was probably dill in it and something yellow and mushy-looking beside it.

“Mashed Yukon gold potatoes,” Haru offered, giving the second magazine a little shake. “With garlic.”

“They look very appealing. The colors complement each other.” He thought the green of the asparagus looked a little washed out next to the vibrant pink flesh of the fish. The yellow and pink made him think of Nagisa.

“It’s too rich. All the flavors would overwhelm the salmon. Your brother’s in the kitchen.” Just like that the conversation was over. Makoto chuckled a little and shook his head, spraying Haru and the magazines lightly with the melted snow from his hair before he stood back up. Haru just clucked his tongue softly and wiped the magazines off on the couch, making Makoto laugh harder as he made his way to the kitchen.

Teppei was at the table with the remains of breakfast and a cup of coffee. “Where did you get that from?” He knew full well there was no coffee in their house, let alone a way to make it.

“Instant. It was in my coat. I’m surprised you didn’t come across it looking for my phone.” Teppei gestured to one of the chairs near him and Makoto dropped into it. He could feel how sore he would be later but it was the best kind of sore, the kind that came from using your muscles for something meaningful.

“I might have. I wasn’t looking for coffee.” He observed Teppei for a moment. “How’re you feeling?”

“Much better! Thank you for the use of the spare bedroom.” Teppei took a long, slow drink from the coffee cup. “And this is helping immensely, as is the breakfast. Haruka-san didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

“He didn’t. Or rather,” Makoto continued after realizing from the surprise on Teppei’s face just how that sounded, “he always does. He likes to cook and he never does it by half. Ours is not a cold cereal for breakfast kind of house. At least, not on the weekends.”

“Well, it’s delicious. I tried to thank him but he just sort of grunted at me.” Teppei shrugged and finished what was left on his plate. Makoto sighed a little and shook his head.

“It’s nothing personal. Haru’s not a people person really on the best of days and today was…”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, Makoto. I assumed your parents would let you know I was coming.” There was something off about the way Teppei avoided meeting Makoto’s eyes when he was speaking but Makoto wasn’t going to press. The fact of the matter was, Teppei was here. Better to deal with it going forward than keep wallowing in apologies.

“It’ll be all right, Teppei. At least for a little while. Speaking of, though, did you have a timeline in mind for all of this?” Makoto thought again of the suitcases in Teppei’s car and hoped he’d at least given this that much thought before showing up here.

“Well, if you’re willing, I was hoping I could stay here until at least New Year’s Day. I know you guys have your own lives and I don’t want to be in your way any time past then,” Teppei replied as he gathered his plates up and started toward the sink with them. Makoto waited for a moment to see if any more details would be forthcoming but Teppei just started running water over the dishes. Well, at least he’d planned that far ahead.

“In that case we should bring your things in. We’ve been nominated to go for groceries so we’ll probably need the room in your car,” Makoto said as he pushed back from the table and stood. “And we’re supposed to get a bit more snow so the sooner the better, I’d say.”

Teppei chuckled as he turned the water off. “But no rush, right?” Makoto opened his mouth to defend himself but Teppei turned around and held up a hand. “Just kidding. I was thinking much the same thing myself, and Haruka-san rather heavily implied it while you were out.” He dried his hands then fished into a pocket. “At least, that’s what I think this was. It was under my door when I woke up.” Leaning in a little, Makoto could see it was a shopping list.

“Oh, Haru…”

Teppei laughed again and clapped Makoto on the shoulder as he put the list away. “I would rather know what to get than not. It’s a considerate thing to have done! Anyway, I’ll just be a couple of minutes.” With that he moved past Makoto and through the living room. Makoto heard him offer a few words to Haru and, as expected, nothing from Haru in reply, then a moment of silence before the door opened and closed.

Makoto poked his head out toward the living room but Haru was still engrossed in his magazines. He knew he probably wouldn’t have time for a shower before Teppei was ready to go but maybe he could at least get the dishes done. It’d only take a couple of minutes and it’d be one less thing for Haru to have to do or for them to have to do when they got back.

Naturally, he was wrists-deep in soapy water when he heard a cell phone ringing, but he realized after a moment it wasn’t his and Haru’s phone was eternally on silent. That meant it must be Teppei’s. Makoto shook his hands off and moved toward the phone where his brother had left it on the counter. A Tokyo number was showing on the ID but the name was blocked. It wasn’t his grandfather so he wasn’t entirely sure if he should answer it or or ignore it. Answering someone else’s phone could be astonishingly rude and surely Teppei’d be back inside in just a moment and then he could deal with it.

As he watched it, the phone stopped ringing and the entire question was rendered momentarily null. As soon as Makoto turned to go back to the sink, however, it started ringing again and showing the same number. He frowned and glanced at the door. Where was Teppei? Even if this wasn’t their grandfather it might be something to do with him. It was obviously urgent for them to call twice in a row like this.

“Answer it already,” came Haru’s voice from the living room. Makoto cringed--he hadn’t realized the ringing would be that disruptive--then dried his hands and picked the phone up, answering the call.

“Hello?”

“Kiyoshi-kun?” It was a woman’s voice on the other end, concerned but not frantic. Makoto didn’t recognize it.

“No, I’m sorry, he’s not able to answer hi--”

“Is he OK? Who are you, answering his phone?” Makoto answer had evidently pushed her further on the scale toward frantic, though she seemed now more angry than scared. He was regretting this decision more by each passing second. Had Teppei just decided to go shopping himself?

“This is Tachibana Makoto, I’m a friend of Teppei’s. He’s fine, he’s just stepped away and left his phone here. I saw you called twice--”

“This is the fifth time I’ve called.” She sounded exasperated now and even though she’d just been yelling at him he felt for her. He was about to apologize again when she continued. “Wait, Tachibana? His brother?”

Teppei’d told people? Or at least one person. “Ah, yes. Half brother.” 

“He never said you were coming to Tokyo for the holidays.” Her voice was suspicious now and Makoto thought he could hear a man’s voice in the background.

“I’m not in Tokyo,” he replied carefully. “I’m sorry if there’s been some misunderstanding.”

“But if you’re not in Tokyo then--he’s in Iwatobi!? He drove to _Tottori-ken_?” The woman on the phone just sounded surprised but whoever the man in background is, Makoto could hear him give a roar of shock and indignation. The woman shushed him and Makoto decided it was probably best if he didn’t draw attention to the fact that he could hear all that.

“Uhm, yes? But not directly, he stopped in Kyoto for the night.” 

The weight of her sigh in his ear indicated to Makoto that this was not the response she was hoping for. “Look, I'm sure you're only trying to help and that's fine, but I was really hoping to be able to talk to Kiyoshi-kun. He’s really all right?”

Makoto started to exit the kitchen. He might be able to see if Kiyoshi was coming up the stairs without too much trouble, even though he really didn’t feel like going back out into the cold just yet. Haru shot him a passively curious glance as he walked past-- _you’re still on the phone?_ \--and Makoto just shrugged and stepped into a pair of shoes. “He’s fine. He was just supposed to be getting his bags from his car but I think he may have gone on without me.” He reached the steps and looked down. Sure enough, Teppei’s car was gone. “Yes, it looks like he’s left.”

“Are you sure he’s coming back?” She sounded suspicious again but then if Makoto had tried to call someone only to find out they’d driven halfway across the country with no warning and that they couldn’t even answer their own phone, he might be suspicious too.

“I hope so, he’s left his phone here otherwise.” Makoto returned to the house and toed his shoes off.

“Oh.” The woman’s voice softened a little. “Well, please ask him to call me back when he returns.”

“Of course! I just need to know who to tell him to call.” He tried not to sound patronizing but there hadn’t really been an easy moment to ask her name. She seemed to realize that when she replied.

“Sorry, yes. Aida Riko. Or he can call Hyuuga but I’d really rather he call me.”

“Oh, Riko-san! I didn’t realize. I’ll let him know as soon as I see him.” A glance at the couch showed him Haru had moved so he walked past it toward the kitchen. Haru was there, standing at the sink.

“All right. Thank you, Tachibana.” Riko just wounded weary now. Before he could reply again, Makoto heard the line go dead. He set the phone on the table and started to pull out a chair then realized what Haru was doing.

“You didn’t have to finish those,” he said, watching as Haru set clean dishes in the rack to dry. Whenever Haru cooked, Makoto cleaned up. House rules. Haru knew how much having to leave a chore half finished bothered Makoto, though, so when it seemed the task might be interrupted for longer than he was planning, he must have taken it on himself to finish it. 

Of course, he didn’t say so, merely made a small sound of acknowledgement and continued washing.

“That was Aida Riko, one of Teppei’s roommates. She used to coach him in high school.” Makoto left the table and found a clean towel in a drawer near the sink, settling in next to Haru to dry as he washed.

“Don’t you mean manage?” Haru passed him a plate.

“No,” he continued, thinking, “I’m fairly sure he said coach. He played basketball. They were really good, too.”

“She isn’t coming, is she?” Makoto turned his head and saw Haru looking at him from the corner of his eye. He was trying to look dour but Makoto saw right through that; the little lift in his eyebrows was more about discomfort than disdain. He reached over and took the next item from Haru’s hands, setting it aside on the towel before turning back to his boyfriend.

“No. Nobody else is coming as far as I know, but then I didn’t know about Teppei, either.” He turned around till his lower back was resting against the counter and put his right hand on Haru’s wrist. Haru frowned but used his free hand to let the water drain from the sink without looking back up at Makoto. “He only wants to stay until after New Year’s, but I can still ask him to leave. He could go stay at Mom and Dad’s, I don’t think they’d mind.”

Haru’s frown deepened before he looked up at Makoto. “There’s stuff he’s not telling us. I don’t like that.”

Leave it to Haru to notice even if Makoto was trying to keep his own misgivings under wraps. “I know, but I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to cause problems in the span of a few days. At least, not more problems than a few phone calls.”

Haru stepped to the side a little and leaned until his forehead was resting against Makoto’s upper arm. Makoto lifted his left arm and wrapped it around Haru’s shoulders as he linked their right hands together. “I don’t care that he’s here, I just don’t want him to upset you,” Haru mumbled, barely audible against Makoto’s shirt. 

“I’m not upset.” Makoto tightened his arm for a moment, trying to reassure Haru. It wasn’t often he had to do that repeatedly but sometimes, especially when he couldn’t swim, it was hard for Haru to let things rest. “How about this? If you’re OK with him, even with whatever else is going on, then so am I, and if I’m OK then you can be OK. Can we agree on that?” He took the chance and kissed the top of Haru’s head. Haru grumbled and pulled back until they could look each other in the eye.

“You better tell me if something changes.”

Makoto laughed and nodded. “It’s not like I could keep it from you anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much love to Erin and Nadia for looking this one over for me and thank you to everyone whose read and left comments and kudos so far. I wasn't sure this idea would appeal to many from this angle but I'm glad for the audience I've found!


	3. Chapter 3

Iwatobi was a very small town. Teppei remembered it being very different from Tokyo but he’d forgotten in the intervening years just how small it really was. He was only a child the last time he was here and everything had seemed bigger and more complex then but he found he did still mostly remember the way to the largest grocery store in town and when he did make a wrong turn or two, well, all roads led to Rome eventually, right? So it took a little longer than he’d planned. He hadn’t really planned a timeline out anyway. It was just some shopping.

The grocery store, at least, was bigger than he remembered. He parked and shuffled his way through the snow, fishing Nanase’s list from his pocket when he got to the door. Arming himself with a basket, he started down the aisles. It was different than the stores back home--different brands, organized differently--but the act of it was familiar and comforting, something Teppei found himself unexpectedly in need of just then.

To say he was uncomfortable in Makoto’s home would be an understatement. Teppei anticipated going in that things were going to be a little weird when he got to Iwatobi but he hadn’t expected them to be quite as strained as they were. He attributed most of it to his underestimating just how inscrutable Makoto’s boyfriend really was. It wasn’t like he had no idea how Nanase could be; Teppei knew he was far from Makoto’s closest friend but occasionally in their exchanges stories of Nanase’s behavior did come up. He wasn’t prepared for the fierce protectiveness, though, or for his own need to penetrate it when he’d found himself alone with Nanase. The story he’d offered was well-practiced--perhaps too well but he’d had a lot of time to himself in the car--and only just slightly off from the truth. Most importantly, it seemed to have done what he needed it to.

Teppei’s walking as he mused had taken him right through the produce section, forcing him to pause and turn around. He glanced down at the paper in his hand to find it was less a list and more bullet pointed instructions. For having been as frosty as he was initially, Nanase’s directions were awkwardly courteous. 

_Making saba no tsukune this night. Get more mackerel. Or chicken if you want but mackerel is better._

_Get anything special you want for New Year’s but if it’s too hard I’m not making it._

_Get eggs._

The last one made him chuckle with its straightforwardness but he considered himself told. Eggs it was. He also thought ahead to New Year’s. He never paid that much attention to what his grandmother made and after Riko repeatedly made them all sick Kagami refused to let anyone else have a say in what happened in his kitchen so Teppei was at something of a loss. Still, there was that thing with the chestnuts he liked. That was always good. Where would those be here?

He was on the verge of pulling his phone out to call Riko and ask where he might find them, if they were something he should even look for fresh (since he suspected Nanase would be particular about that kind of thing) when he remembered he’d left his phone at the house deliberately. The entire reason he was standing in a grocery store several hours from home came rushing back to him and he shook his head a little. He’d wander the store until he figured the chestnuts out, then. Odds were even if he had his phone Riko and Hyuuga would be busy or else they’d want a conversation he really wasn’t interested in having yet. He started down the aisles, basket in hand, and let himself explore.

Teppei didn’t consider himself to be a great strategist or someone with the ability to see every position at once. He knew those were roles better left to others and that on the court and off it he had another purpose. Other people saw how to best arrange things and what they’d look like when they got there; Teppei was the one who held them together once they were in place. He was the rock, the glue, all those good, solid things. When he applied that as hindsight it was obvious to him that things would end up the way they had when Hyuuga, Riko, and he graduated.

Getting an apartment together just made sense. When the three of them pooled their money they were able to afford just a one bedroom. They each had their own answer to how it should work from there. Teppei said he and Hyuuga should take the bedroom to give Riko some privacy, Riko felt she and Teppei should take the bedroom because Hyuuga had the earliest classes, and Hyuuga felt he and Riko should take the bedroom because Teppei was the biggest and needed more space. Riko won because Riko always won but they agreed the arrangement would be up for debate again each term depending on class schedules and Teppei insisted on taking the futon and made sure the screen he set up between his and Riko’s sides of the room was sturdy and utterly opaque.

The situation was, in Teppei’s opinion, basically perfect. They did end up rotating who would share the bedroom each term but the breaks were a bit of a free for all since their schedules became less regular. Teppei usually took the opportunity to gently excuse himself and spend time with his grandparents. It was largely because he missed them but there was also no denying a growing tension among Riko, Hyuuga, and himself that he had no idea how to negotiate. How did you tell your best friend you were in love with him? How did you tell your other best friend you weren’t in love with her?

Walking in on Hyuuga and Riko making out on the couch one March afternoon after their third year had been an unexpectedly effective conversation starter. He’d been unable to stop the slightly strangled noise he made and so Riko was able to catch him before he made it back out the door. Gently, or as gently as the two of them could considering they were two of the most formidable people Teppei knew (while also being the two people he loved most in the world), Riko and Hyuuga coaxed him into a round of shared confessions. Riko was clearly the mastermind behind it: the way she curled up against Teppei as they talked left no doubt. It was easy for him to let her take his arm and wrap it around her waist. It was nearly impossible to bring himself to do the same to Hyuuga, whose face was as red as he’d ever seen it. The confession he made was as frustrated and awkward and overwhelmingly sincere as everything else about him and Teppei received it in wide-eyed silence. That seemed to have taken everything Hyuuga had in him to give at that moment, though. After he spoke he retreated into an even more self-conscious silence than before and physical contact seemed to make matters worse. The other man’s body didn’t relax for an instant under Teppei’s touch. It was that fact that made Teppei wonder to himself if the entire prospect was doomed but Riko and Hyuuga believed in it and look where their belief had carried him before. 

Teppei lifted a hand to his face when the cold of the frozen foods section--when did he get here?--made him realize he was flushed as he thought about the things their belief couldn’t fix. He loved Riko, her smile, her temper, the way she felt against his side when they slept, but her kisses left him awkward and her body roused nothing in him but a desire to see her clothed again. He certainly hadn’t lied in the spring when he’d said yes, he loved her too, but the look on her face each time he couldn’t reciprocate her passion left him sick with disappointment. The worst part was, he knew precisely how she felt. 

Approaching Hyuuga was terrifying at first; Teppei’s hands shook with the want to touch and be touched. He’d been in love with Hyuuga since high school. To know that Hyuuga felt something for him too was like stepping from hard reality into a kind of soft focus dreamscape, but those kinds of scenes are too hard on the eyes to last forever. Teppei tried to talk to him about it but Hyuuga shut him down every time. He wanted to understand and be patient but he watched Hyuuga step up behind Riko in the kitchen and slip his arms around her waist as she cooked and his heart ached. He tried the same thing once, calling him Junpei as he got close and rested his chin on his shoulder, and Hyuuga froze before swatting his arms away. So much for that, then.

It wasn’t that he thought Hyuuga’s confession wasn’t true. Maybe _that_ was the worst part, he thought as he picked up a bag of frozen chestnuts and wondered if they’d suffice. He was certain it was authentic but for some reason once he said it, Hyuuga put everything he had back into pretending the feelings didn’t exist. If anything, he made himself more distant from Teppei than ever. Teppei devoted the time he’d rather have been spending with Hyuuga to trying to convince himself that this wasn’t his fault, that it was no one’s fault, but every interaction with Hyuuga that had even the slightest hint of intimacy to it left him feeling more guilty than loved. 

After several months, Teppei sat down alone with Riko and they both cried as he explained. He couldn’t do it anymore. He loved them both too much to continue like this. He wanted Hyuuga. Hyuuga wanted Riko. Riko, astonishingly, wanted both of them, something Teppei could never quite convince himself he deserved. He didn’t tell her that, though. What good would it do? He just made it clear that the most important thing to him was Riko and Hyuuga’s happiness, as individuals and together. 

The apartment was a very quiet place for days after that. Riko found excuses to linger near Teppei but, after a brief conversation wherein Teppei tried to make himself heard and Hyuuga told him to stop being embarrassing (which meant, to Teppei’s disappointment, that Hyuuga had heard him just fine), Hyuuga avoided him altogether. Though they never talked about it, the arrangement with Riko and Hyuuga sharing the bedroom became permanent and Teppei started to consider his options for moving out in the spring.

Then Hyuuga had turned up on Christmas morning with a tiny black box for Riko and moving out in March was too far away. Kiyoshi didn’t consider himself an impulsive guy so in his mind when he’d packed two suitcases, put them in the car, and left while Hyuuga and Riko were gone to tell Kagetora about their engagement, he rationalized it as the predictable final outcome of everything that had already happened that year.

He wasn’t sure at what point he’d decided to drive all the way to Iwatobi but, well, he was here now, walking toward the checkout of an unfamiliar supermarket with all the ingredients needed to--

The girl at the checkout was giving him a politely confused expression. Teppei paused, shaken out of his thoughts by her presence, and looked down at his basket. A single unbagged sweet potato rolled from one corner to the other, crinkling over Nanase’s list where it lay at the bottom. He’d so thoroughly distracted himself that he’d forgotten nearly all the groceries. Laughing, Teppei scratched lightly at the nape of his neck and looked back up at the cashier.

“Sorry, could you tell me where I might find chestnuts?”

* * *

When he finally returned with his purchases he could tell he’d missed the deadline to offer any of them up for dinner that evening. Nanase was nowhere to be seen but Makoto met him in the main room, hands held out in an offer to take the bags.

“I’m sure you can carry them, it’s just, well, when he’s cooking, Haru can be a little--”

Teppei smiled, the expression feeling too big for his face, and shook his head as he handed them over. “Say no more. I think I got everything but if not I’m more than happy to go again tomorrow. Consider it a peace offering.”

“You didn’t have to do this, and you certainly didn’t have to do it alone,” Makoto replied, his tone gentle. 

“I know, but I wanted to. It felt like the best of both worlds: I get the shopping done and we each get a little time to get settled back down.” Calling his current inner state settled was a bit of an exaggeration but given that Nanase was in the kitchen and Makoto was smiling, all must have been closer to all right here.

“Ah, yes. About being settled.” Makoto started to turn then appeared to realize he was still holding the shopping bags. “Your phone is on the table there. Aida-san called. She seemed very upset, Teppei.” Makoto’s implication hung heavy in the air: call her back. Teppei marvelled for a moment at the level of Makoto’s silent persuasion then nodded.

“How long until dinner? I don’t want to inconvenience you any more than I already have.” He stepped forward and retrieved his phone then turned to face Makoto again.

“It’s just nabe. Come out whenever you’re ready, OK?” Makoto lingered for a moment, clear green eyes studying him until Teppei almost wanted to ask just what Riko had said, but then he turned and headed into the kitchen. “Haru! I told you he’d get everything…”

Teppei tuned their voices out as he made his way back to the spare bedroom and sat down hard on the bed. Flipping his phone open, he saw how many times she’d called. No surprise he was upset. His knee hurt, his chest hurt, and he wasn’t sure he would survive what was about to happen but--he thought as he dialed--what kind of man was he if he could promise to die on a basketball court for a game and then not risk his life for something exponentially more important like this?

It rang three times before he heard the muted click of connection but the moment of silence that followed was just long enough for his heart to sink. He should’ve assumed this would happen. “Kiyoshi. About time.”

“Ah, Hyuuga. Sorry about that, things have just been a little crazy since I got here and I didn’t have a minute to call--”

“You only had to answer, idiot! That takes less than a minute. You don’t even have to think about it unless you look at your phone, see the number and decide you don’t want to answer it, which is pretty much what it looks like from here.” Teppei listened, trying to pick out even a hint of the fondness that usually lay under Hyuuga’s yelling, but all he heard was hurt. Hurt he’d caused.

“Of course not. It’s just I couldn’t answer while I was driving and then I got here and just needed to get some sleep--”

“Maybe if you’d waited until a more reasonable hour to leave Izuki’s you could have avoided that.” Hyuuga’s reply shocked Kiyoshi into momentary silence. “Yes, I know you went there. _He _answers his phone rather than leaving it for his host to look after.”__

__Kiyoshi’d asked Izuki to be discreet but he could also forgive him for not wanting to lie to Hyuuga; their friendship went back much farther than his and Kiyoshi’s. Besides, he would have had to explain himself eventually. “I’m sorry, Hyuuga. I just wasn’t ready to talk to either of you yet. That was a pretty big Christmas surprise, after all. Can you blame me for overreacting a little?” He forced a laugh at the end but Hyuuga snorted at the other end of the line._ _

__“Crying and excusing yourself to your grandparents for the rest of the holidays would’ve been overreacting. Fucking off to Tottori without a word is on a whole different level, Kiyoshi. Did you even think about this?” Hyuuga was practically growling into the phone at this point but this, at least, Kiyoshi was used to. He even had an answer._ _

__“I left a note.”_ _

__“Only for Riko.” This time the hurt was much closer to the surface; Hyuuga’s voice took on the note of petulance it only got before he went into a fully defensive position._ _

__“I didn’t think you’d be interested in any note from me, Hyuuga, especially now. I said a lot of heartfelt things in that letter to Riko and I know how you feel ab--”_ _

__“You don’t know anything about how I feel! Don’t be so cocky as to think you can just understand me like that without giving me any chance to speak for myself.”_ _

__“You can always tell me now. No better time, right?” Teppei found himself smiling a little in spite of himself. Hyuuga would see it that way. An invitation written in the sky was too much; a carefully worded question asked over and over in the privacy of their home wasn’t enough. He could have given Hyuuga a lifetime of chances and he still might never have spoken for himself._ _

__The silence stretched on longer than could be accounted for with simple shock. Finally, when Teppei was just starting to think he might have to prompt Hyuuga into speaking again, he heard him sigh. “I’m not going to do this over the phone, Kiyoshi, don’t be stupid.” His voice was quiet and tight-sounding; Teppei imagined him pinching the bridge of his nose under his glasses. “Anyway, Riko’s finally done with her dad so just… Just come back soon, OK?”_ _

__Before he could even answer, Riko’s voice chirped in his ear. “Teppei!? Finally!”_ _

__“Hey, Riko.” It was probably better this way. He couldn’t have given Hyuuga an answer right now anyway. “How’s Kagetora-san?”_ _

__“He’s fine. He came by to. Well. You know.” To congratulate them, or possibly to threaten Hyuuga’s life. Probably a little of both; Riko’s father was the most protective parent Teppei had ever met but he was also a smart man with an understanding of strategy, of how to win and how to lose, and Kiyoshi had watched as Hyuuga had won him over slowly, like wind eroding a cliff. “But we are not talking about that right now.” Her voice had turned harder. “We are talking about you driving to the other side of the country in the middle of winter.”_ _

__“I drove slowly and obeyed every traffic law.” Teppei shifted on the bed until he was leaning against the pillows and could stretch his legs out. Had he really been sitting that stiffly when he was talking to Hyuuga?_ _

__“When are you coming back?” Riko clearly had little interest in Teppei’s good conduct as a driver._ _

__“I’m not sure.” He didn’t see any point in sugar coating it. Riko would know and would be upset with him for trying, and he didn’t have a back up plan for when she called him out on that. It made more sense to just be up front about it._ _

__“Well, will you be back for New Year’s?” He could hear that she was trying to keep her tone diplomatic but Riko was only good at that in short bursts. The rest of the time her feelings were almost as obvious as Teppei’s, though he made a point of never letting her know that._ _

__“Ah. No, not that soon. I think it’s better if I spend New Year’s here, with Makoto and his boyfriend. They’ve offered to let me stay.” Technically they hadn’t agreed on it being that long but Nanase’s note on the shopping list seemed like a pretty clear indication to Teppei that he was welcome._ _

__“You’re going to spend New Year’s with strangers rather than come back here and deal with this like an adult? Kiyoshi _Teppei_.”_ _

__He chuckled. “My full name. I must be in big trouble. But they’re not strangers. Makoto is family.”_ _

__“So are we, or at least that’s what you said in your letter.”_ _

__She wanted to put him on the defensive, but defence was his specialty. “And so are my grandparents but I’m also not spending New Year’s with them.” Blunt force honesty. She couldn’t deny that._ _

__“Fine! Fine. I just… Hang on.” She was quiet for a moment but he could hear soft sounds in the background: indecipherable words exchanged with Hyuuga, the rustle of motion, the muffled bump of a door closing. “Teppei. I didn’t know he was going to ask.”_ _

__“I never said you did.”_ _

__“I know,” she replied with a sigh. “I just thought if you knew that it might change your mind. If I knew, I would have told you. You know that.”_ _

__“You wouldn’t have been obligated to do that. If anything, you owe Hyuuga your loyalty more than me now so I would have understood if you knew and you didn’t tell me.” Teppei heard her breath hitch halfway through his last sentence but he barrelled ahead anyway._ _

__“I don’t owe either of you anything!” Her voice was low, probably to keep Hyuuga from hearing too much of the conversation, but Teppei’d struck a nerve he didn’t realize was so exposed. “I really thought we were done with these conversations about owing people things. I thought we’d gotten to a place where all of that was finally done, everybody was in the black and we could move on. Honestly, how long are the two of you going to carry on with this? This isn’t a round of one on ones to decide who buys the drinks after, Teppei. Real life doesn’t work like that!”_ _

__“Ah…” He sat for a moment, just breathing and listening to her breath on the other end. Teppei knew she wasn’t going to want to hear this, but it had to be said. “It does with us. You two are different because he thinks he owes you because he thinks you can do better and of course you don’t owe us anything. I just know I’ll never do better than either of you. You’re both incredible.” Teppei wouldn’t come out and say that he owed them both everything but the weight of it sat on him even here, seven hundred kilometers away. It left things unbalanced and this had finally dropped his side of the scale to a place he couldn’t lift it from._ _

__“There is no ‘you two,’ and no ‘us,’ not without you. You want to talk about owing? What if I said you owed me this New Year’s?” There was an edge of desperation in her tone but he could hear the disappointment, too. She’d always been easier to bring around than Hyuuga._ _

__“Riko. I can’t. I’m sorry.” He hated to disappoint her. Every rational part of his mind was telling him this was stupid and he’d feel better if he just gave this up and went back twice as fast as he’d left, but Teppei’d always found things worked better when he said and did what felt right rather than listening to that rational voice. Right now, the thought of going back there, of seeing that ring on her finger and spending New Year’s watching them walk on eggshells around him rather than just enjoying each other the way newly engaged couples should at New Year’s… he couldn’t do it._ _

__“Yeah. Me too. I’m sorry, Teppei.” She sniffed a little but continued just as he opened his mouth to try to comfort her. “Don’t you dare.”_ _

__There was his Riko. “OK. But, listen, Makoto and Nanase are just finishing up dinner so I think I’m going to go--”_ _

__“You have to come back for the wedding.”_ _

__“What?”_ _

__She sighed, sounding almost impatient. “I don’t want to do it without you. I _won’t_ do it without you. I… I need you to be here for the wedding.”_ _

__Teppei blinked slowly. “Do you have a date yet?”_ _

__“No, but it doesn’t matter. It could be ten years from now but if you’re not there it’s not happening.” Her impatience had turned stubborn._ _

__“Riko, I appreciate where this is coming from but I’m not the one you need there to get married. Hyuuga--”_ _

__“Don’t tell me what I need, Teppei!” He had to laugh but she snapped at him again when she heard him. “What are you laughing at?”_ _

__“You sound just like him. Did you know that?”_ _

__“... Don’t say that. Just say you’re going to be back.”_ _

__It was his turn to sigh. “I didn’t mean it unkindly! It’s a good thing. But I will. Just not too soon, OK?”_ _

__“You sound just like Dad,” she replied. He could hear the relief in her voice, the easing of the tension. “There’s too much to do to have it soon. There’s too much to do period. If you were here I’d just pile us all in the car, get all the paperwork done, and go away somewhere.”_ _

__“That’d be a really awkward honeymoon, Riko.” Just like that the tension returned. Teppei waited to see if she’d respond but if she sounded like Hyuuga sometimes, there was no denying that she could hold her silence longer. “Anyway, I should really let you go. He’s probably missing you.”_ _

__“You’re coming back. I’ll let you know as soon as we pick a date.” The way she spoke made it clear that picking the date had just become her number one priority. “And you better answer from now on when I call.”_ _

__“Yes, Coach.” Teppei smiled again as they said their goodbyes and hung up. The house was filling the the aroma of Nanase’s hotpot, that part was true, but Makoto had said there was no rush to come down and Teppei found himself wanting just a few minutes of quiet before having to face his brother. It wasn’t like he’d expected some kind of miraculous reconciliation or a, God forbid, a clean break, but bouncing between two families like this, one familiar but painful and the other distant but welcoming, was enough to give even the strongest heart a little whiplash. He doubted his brother would blame him._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this through what turned out to be a very long winter draught! This is my first time writing any of the KuroBas characters like this, so feedback is ~~desperately craved~~ welcomed and appreciated. Otherwise, thanks for reading, and I'll do my best to update more frequently from here on out.


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